Zero Waste Restaurant, Silo

Recognizing food as a powerful vehicle for social change, Silo Restaurant, started by chef Douglas McMaster, is the first UK-based restaurant generating zero waste.

The philosophy of the restaurant is simple yet powerful, only locally grown and seasonal food are served and nothing is thrown away.

Adopting a more primitive diet with techniques both modern and ancient McMaster restaurant minimize up to 95% of the usual waste produced from traditional restaurants, by choosing to trade directly with farmers, using re-usable delivery vessels and choosing local ingredients that themselves generated no waste. McMaster team mills flour, makes yoghurt, bake bread, grows mushrooms and compost all food scraps in-house. Silo has also managed to operate chemical-free with a water electrolysis system which effectively cleans surfaces killing 99% of bacteria.

Thanks to their compost machine the team is able to make over 100 kilos of nutrient rich compost from their food, espresso and other biodegradable waste each week. With over 2bn tonnes of food wasted annually in the world, the need to change the actual food industry is undeniable and business like Silo are one of the best way to start the evolution. If you are thinking of starting a restaurant or any food-related conscious business Silo might be one of the greatest sources of inspiration.